By John Kiesewetter
The Cincinnati Enquirer

HAMILTON - The Michael Fox-Catherine Stoker race for Butler County commissioner could soon become a three-way fight.

Two long-time Republicans - J. Michael Best of Fairfield and Fairfield Township Trustee Joseph McAbee - have obtained petitions as independent commissioner candidates from the Butler County Board of Elections.

Best, a 35-year Procter & Gamble Co. employee and former Fairfield councilman, says he will decide by Friday whether to enter the race against incumbent Fox, a Republican who has upset party leaders, and Stoker, a Democrat and West Chester Township trustee.

"A lot of people in the party are disgusted with the person in there now, and a lot of people in the party are struggling with whether they could vote for a Democrat," Best says.

McAbee, re-elected to trustee in November, could not be reached for comment. Best says the two have talked, and have agreed that only one independent should appear on the November ballot.

"We know that two (independents) is not the way to go," he says.

Best began circulating petitions shortly after party leaders brokered a deal in January for Commissioner Courtney Combs and State Rep. Greg Jolivette, both Republicans, to switch jobs. The job swap avoided a costly, bitter primary battle between Fox and Jolivette, who had been asked by party leaders to challenge Fox.

Best, a Republican Party Central Committee member, says he opposed the swap when it was proposed last summer. He also says the Combs-Jolivette deal didn't eliminate the party's goal - defeating Fox.

"The Republican Party wanted to challenge Mike Fox, and now it's almost an automatic (victory) for him," Best says. "I was adamantly opposed to that (swap) because it was not the Republican thing to do, circumventing term limits with that kind of deal."

Independent candidates for the November election must file petitions with 867 valid signatures by March 1.

Some party members say they worry that an independent campaign by a Republican could split the party vote, paving the way for Stoker to be the first Democratic commissioner elected in 18 years.

E-mail jkiesewetter@enquirer.com